


Riding the Wave

by tomorrowwith



Category: Community
Genre: Multi, Porn Battle, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-30
Updated: 2011-01-30
Packaged: 2017-10-15 08:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/158955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomorrowwith/pseuds/tomorrowwith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Roommates</p>
            </blockquote>





	Riding the Wave

"Mind if I turn it to _Chuck_?" Troy's hand brushes against her knee as he snags the remote control.

"No, of course--" she says, but he's already changed the channel. Annie doesn't mind, it's his TV, anyway.

"Abed and me'r gonna live-tweet the show again," he explains, settling into the other end of the couch (which is hers), and picking up his phone.

"You know," she says, getting up to grab a soda before the show starts (she likes _Chuck_ , too, though she would never have even heard of it without Abed and Troy), "it'd be a lot easier if he just came over here on Monday nights."

"Yeah, he would except he has an early class on Tuesday, and he likes to go to bed right after."

"Oh." She flops on the couch beside him. "Too bad he doesn't live here, then."

Troy looks at her as if her words are a revelation.

And that's it, really. Abed has left the dorms and moved into Troy's room by the end of the week. They get bunk beds just like Abed had in his dorm room, 'because it's dope,' and the three of them ride to school in Annie's old beater. Sharing the cost of gas really helps, since Annie pinches every penny.

Rent, too! She can't imagine where she'd have to live if she didn't share rent with someone - probably some ramshackle apartment above a porn shop or something. When she heard Troy needed a new place, and she wasn't going to Delaware anymore... it just seemed like the right idea.

Having Troy and Abed around all summer was great for getting her mind off of Vaughn, and to be honest, Jeff. The more they involve her in their adventures, the less time she has to mope about lost love or silly crushes. Who can think about that when they are playing chicken with grocery carts or acting out children's books for preschoolers at Barnes and Noble when no one's working the register.

Now that they're roommates, they're hanging out nearly every night. The only worry she ever has is that she's getting in the middle of Troy and Abed's epic bromance. But since they always invite her, she never feels like a third wheel.

Lately, out of the corner of her eye, she notices Troy watching her, especially if Abed is at his night class. At first, she thinks she's imagining it, because as soon as she turns toward him, he's doing something else. Soon, she's sure of it. At night, she dreams that she and Troy are walking down the beach together, holding hands and kicking at the surf as it plays over their bare feet, Abed walking beside them, talking away about ocean metaphors. She wakes up, her feet still tingling from the imaginary surf, and turns off her white noise generator.

Though a year ago she would have died of happiness if Troy had noticed her, she's a different Annie now. He's a different Troy, too, more unsure of himself than he was in high school. The next time it happens, she doesn't turn toward him. Still fixing her cup of tea, she asks, "Troy?"

He clears his throat awkwardly (she was _right_ ), "Um, yes?"

"Do you like me?" The new Annie doesn't play games anymore.

His voice goes a little high. "Yeah, I like you. We're roommates, aren't we?"

"C'mon, it's more than that, isn't it?" she says before taking a slow sip of her tea. _Then_ she turns. "Because I like you, too."

The whites are showing around his irises, he's looking so spooked.

She brings the tea over and sets it on the coffee table, then scoots close. He scoots away slightly, right into the arm rest.

Annie frowns. "You really don't want to be more than friends?" She sighs. "I was so sure."

"I do, but..." Troy swallows. "I don't think Abed would like it."

Annie frowns harder. "Abed loves me! Why would he care...?" And then it hits her and she scoots to the other side of the couch. "Ohhhhh."

"Yeah, sorry." He looks mortified.

She should have realized sooner! Obviously the white noise generator has been covering up more than the sound of their neighbors always fighting (they don't live above a porn shop, but it's no high rise).

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We... thought you knew?"

She blushes, and then tries to cover it with a yawn. "You know, it's probably for the best. I'm kinda exhausted, anyway. Just forget I said anything, okay?" She's in her room with the door shut before Troy can make any more apologies. All night, she dreams of that beach, but Troy and Abed are walking ahead of her holding hands. Even in the dream, she knows she would be able to let it go if Troy didn't keep looking back...

She acts like nothing is different in the morning, and though Troy isn't as talkative as usual, Abed more than makes up for it. He doesn't seem to notice anything amiss. In about a week, all is back to normal, though she's now seeing every little interaction between the boys (as well as hearing every sound from their room) with new eyes and ears.

Before she can get too comfortable with the new status around their apartment, one sitcom Wesnesday night, Abed moves to sit between them and turns off _Cougar Town_ (that's how she knows it's serious). He takes Annie's hand in his left and Troy's in his right. "Annie?" he asks, giving her with his uncanny stare, "May I kiss you?"

"Abed?!" Troy sounds panicked.

Her heart has started fluttering nervously as well. "If it's okay with Troy..." she manages to say.

Abed tilts his head toward her in a silent request. Troy, mouth open with shock, nods slowly. Abed turns toward her, eyebrows questioning.

It was always Troy she imagined this with, not Abed. And not with Troy watching! But new Annie is confident Annie, and curious to boot. She answers by closing her eyes, leaning forward and planting her lips on Abed's.

He's gentle, like she expected, but also pretty inventive. She finds herself really getting into it just as he pulls away. When she opens her eyes, Troy's eyes are half-closed with arousal. He closes them all the way when Abed kisses him next. Annie finds herself warming all over watching them, still gripping Abed's hand.

And then Abed is standing and lacing Annie and Troy's hands together as he steps out of the way. "Your turn."

It's not as easy after Abed (she's a lot more self-conscious for one thing), but once they get started, it's hard to stop. Abed climbs behind Troy on the couch and caresses his back and shoulders. When they finally pull apart, she and Troy both glance at the hallway where the bedrooms are located.

Abed smiles. "It's unconventional, but I think we can make this work."

Much, _much_ later, entangled between them, Annie dreams of the three of them frolicking in the waves, the water washing over her head as she laughs. She doesn't even need the white noise generator.

***

Annie asks Britta to switch places after that. Jeff and Britta give each other an odd glance, and Shirley looks downright uncomfortable. Pierce takes one look at the new seating arrangement and remarks something about Annie "making peace with the Middle East." Everyone groans and rolls their eyes. Then she feels Abed squeeze her knee under the table, and by Troy's expression, she can tell he received a squeeze, too. She grins inwardly, and rides the wave of happiness all the way through the study session.


End file.
